Ukraine's new commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky called the situation on the battlefield “extremely complex” on Wednesday and acknowledged that Ukraine is short of men and weapons while a new American aid package is stalled in Congress.
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A close adviser to American President Joe Biden also confirmed that “we are hearing more and more often that the Ukrainian army is rationing ammunition or even running out of ammunition at the front.” Jake Sullivan called on Congress to end “American inaction.”
Nevertheless, Kiev can be proud of continuing to let the Russian fleet suffer in the Black Sea and claimed responsibility for the destruction of another ship there on Wednesday. NATO therefore welcomed the “heavy losses” inflicted on Russia at sea and saw it as a “great success” for the Ukrainian armed forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed an attack that “strengthened security in the Black Sea and the motivation of our people.”
On the ground, the scale of the task of retaking the nearly 20% of territory occupied by Moscow remains immense.
“The Russian occupiers continue to redouble their efforts and outnumber Ukrainian forces,” General Syrsky said on Telegram, as Ukraine struggles to replenish the ranks of its army.
“We are doing everything possible to prevent the enemy from advancing on our territory and to hold our positions,” the new commander-in-chief stressed, acknowledging that his forces were suffering from the containment of numerous Russian attacks in the east.
Mr Syrsky, who had long commanded Kiev's military operations in the east, was promoted to commander-in-chief of the armies last week, with President Volodymyr Zelensky calling for “changes” following the failure of Ukraine's counteroffensive in the summer of 2023.
On his first visit to the front as commander-in-chief, the general traveled with Defense Minister Roustem Umerov to the Avdiivka and Kupiansk regions, two of the hottest places on the Eastern Front.
Ship destroyed
“We are taking all possible measures to minimize our losses,” he assured.
Since October, Russian forces have been carrying out massive attacks and bombings to capture Avdiivka, where the situation of Ukrainian defenders has deteriorated since January and the city's mayor, Vitaly Barabakh, recently spoke of a “critical” situation in certain parts of the city.
In the Black Sea, however, where Ukraine managed to persuade the powerful Russian fleet to retreat with missiles and naval drones in 2023, Kiev once again took responsibility for the destruction of an enemy ship.
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“The Ukrainian Armed Forces, together with military intelligence units, destroyed the large landing ship 'Caesar Kunikov,'” a ship that could accommodate 87 crew members, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Telegram.
Ukraine's Military Intelligence (GUR) said it used Magura V5 naval drones to attack the boat off the coast of Alupka, which caused “critical” leaks so that the boat “started to sink.”
According to the Ukrainian military on February 6, about a third of Russian military vessels in the Black Sea – “24 ships and one submarine” – have been “decommissioned” in two years of war.
US aid blocked
Russia rarely acknowledges its losses.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the Ukrainians' claims on Wednesday, and the Russian Defense Ministry also remained silent on the incident, but stressed it had shot down six Ukrainian drones “over the waters of the Black Sea.”
The Russian army-affiliated Telegram channel Rybar reported the attack and claimed that “the extent of the damage is unknown.”
The Russian army is also continuing its attacks on Ukrainian cities near the front.
According to the Ukrainian authorities, a mother and her nine-year-old son as well as a 38-year-old pregnant woman were killed in the bomb attack on a hospital in Selydové (East) on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday.
According to the governor, another Russian attack killed two women in the village of Mykolaivka in the Donetsk region.
On the issue of American military aid, Kiev finally continues to pressure its allies to speed up arms and ammunition deliveries.
On Tuesday, Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude to American senators after voting on a $60 billion envelope for Ukraine.
But the acceptance of this aid is blocked by the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives despite an appeal from US President Joe Biden.